Living With Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Caring for a premature infant can be challenging. You may experience:

• Emotional pain, including feelings of guilt, anger, and depression
• Anxiety about your baby's future
• A feeling of a lack of control over the situation
• Financial stress
• Problems relating to the baby in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
• Fatigue (tiredness)

Things you can do to help yourself during this difficult time include:

• Taking care of your health so that you have enough energy to deal with this situation.
• Breast feeding your baby.
• Learning as much as you can about what goes on in the NICU so that you can help your baby during his or her stay there and begin to bond with the baby before he or she comes home.
• Learning as much as you can about your baby's condition and what is involved in daily care so you can ask the right questions and feel more confident about your ability to care for him or her at home.
• Seeking out support from family and friends, as well as hospital personnel. Ask the case manager or social worker at the hospital about what you'll need after the baby leaves the hospital. The physicians and nursing staff can assist with questions about your infant's care. Also ask whether there is a support group in your community.
• Enjoying your new baby, spending as much time with him or her as you can, and looking forward to a happy future.

Your baby also may need special care after leaving the NICU, including:

• Special hearing and eye examinations
• Speech or physical therapy
• Specialty care for other medical problems caused by premature birth